Saturday, November 5, 2011

Me at work

I am reminded of the Bob Dylan lyrics, “Times they are a changing,” “ I feel a change coming on,” and my favorite, “The answer my friend is blowing in the wind. The answer is blowing in the wind.” Change is coming – the wind is blowing from a new direction. There are new thoughts in my head, new ideas, and new ways of looking at what has been and what is coming. I feel my art changing. It is time to grow.

My work has always been a little funky. I describe my work as non-traditional embroidery, a little inside the magic art box and a little outside of the magic box . One of the changes is that I have decided to become a blogger. It will be a blog about my work, the new ideas forming in my head and all the new information I am learning. I always said I would never blog. I love to read other’s blogs but they are written by people who I am sure are gifted with words. Words don’t come easy to me. Give me a needle and thread and I can go to town! Ask me to write about myself and it is another story. But changes are coming, and I am going to embrace them. I doubt it will be a daily blog – I am thinking more about a weekly happening. Who knows, I might enjoy it so much that it will be daily. We will see.

I’ve taken some classes from Jude Hill. She has influenced my work. It is calmer, minimalized, simpler, and slower. I have been to Gail Harker’s Creative Study Center in Washington. She is starting to do online classes and I will be taking and learning from her. Her first online course is Color Theory.

Each step of my process is just as important as the finished project, beginning with the materials I will be using. I have decided to try to not buy any more commercial fabric but use the fabric in my stash and hand dyed fabric that I make myself or buy from sellers. Sellers that create because the fabric speaks to them. They are cloth whisperers. Glennis Dolce does beautiful shibiori and indigo. Arlee Barr uses natural dyes for her wonderful cottons and silks. Deb Lacativa's hand dyed fabrics are great. I will become more eco conscious – using clothing that has been used before, going to places like Good Will to shop. I will be doing more handwork using my natural machines – my hands – just because I like to feel the fabric. I have read India Flint’s book on Eco Colour. I will be learning about Eco-dying, using natural materials to dye my natural fibers with and I will be sharing what I learn on this blog.

I am not sure where all these ideas will take me. I want my work to reflect the new ideas but yet I don’t want to lose my own voice. There will always be a piece of myself in all of my work. Come and join me on this adventure.

Welcome TO THE World of blogging!! You have nothing to worry about when it comes to writing- you are off to a great start!! I love what you are doing and I am glad to sign on to be a follower! I would love to have you hop on over and visit my blog!!I am also into hand dyeing and sun printing my own fabrics which I sell at my Etsy SHop. It is so much fun to continue the process with stitching and thread and a few beads of course. I have a hard time not adding beads!!!